Transition Learning Support Program

In the 1980s, Woodward Academy was among the first in metro Atlanta to begin a program to educate students with diagnosed learning differences in a college preparatory setting. Transition classrooms include students who may have mild to moderate challenges in reading (dyslexia), written expression (dysgraphia), math (dyscalculia), language, or areas of processing. They also include students who may have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and challenges with Executive Functioning. Today, our Transition Learning Support Program is among the best of its kind in the nation, with a stellar reputation among Atlanta families and professionals.

The goal of the program is to provide the personalized support necessary so that students of average and above average intelligence who have clinically diagnosed differences will be able to better understand themselves in an academic setting and acquire the skills necessary for successful college preparatory work. Our Transition students become academic achievers who attend our best colleges and universities and forge successful careers and happy, well-balanced lives in the world beyond Woodward.

CURRICULUM CONSISTENCY

The Transition Learning Support Program is offered in grades two and three at the Primary School, grades three through six at Woodward North, and all grades at our Lower and Middle Schools. At each level, Transition students learn the same curriculum as mainstream Woodward peers, but the material is taught in ways that suit their individual needs and learning styles. An accommodations counselor is provided in the Upper School to ensure a successful transition to mainstream courses in grades nine through 12.

SMALLER CLASSROOM SIZES

The low student to teacher ratios—two teachers for every nine students in Primary School and one teacher for every 10 students in the Lower School—allow for a high degree of personal attention. These small classes become like communities where their members can grow and thrive. Students form bonds that last a lifetime with their fellow students and teachers.

LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD

Our Transition Learning Support Program “levels the playing field” for students by providing them with study strategies, organization skills, and other tools that enable them to achieve academic success, which they carry with them to college. Our program integrates technology to help students learn. Accommodations, such as extended test-taking time or use of recorders for note-taking, are designed to suit every student's learning style.

TRANSITION PROGRAM BENEFITS

Our Transition Learning Support Program instills a remarkable degree of confidence, creates a love of learning, and teaches students to advocate for themselves. One hundred percent of Transition students are accepted into colleges and universities, and they go on to careers in fields like law, medicine, and accounting.

My path to both academic and social success at Woodward began in my 5th grade Transition classroom. The Transition program provided the small classroom environment that I needed to cultivate my strengths and heighten my awareness of how I needed to approach my learning difference in a committed and determined manner.-DANIEL OBERTI '15, WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY

Families seeking to apply for the Transition Learning Support Program should complete the standard Woodward Academy application for admission. Applications will need a current (within two years) psychoeducational evaluation. SSAT testing is not required for Transition students.

After an application has been filed, the Office of Admissions will contact applicants to schedule interviews with members of our Admissions and Transition teams.